Objectives:
The Stewart Library’s reference collection is designed to meet
the basic instruction, research and information needs of the university
community.
Priority will be given to those resources which specifically support
university curriculum areas and those subject areas necessary for general
information
requests. Where possible, the library will provide resources that support
the full range of instruction, research, and administrative activities.

Philosophy:
Subject
reference materials are selected by subject bibliographers with oversight
by the Head of Reference & Information Services. General reference materials
and those subjects not covered by bibliographers are selected by the Head
of Reference & Information Services.

In general, reference materials
will be limited to resources that:

Provide brief factual information

Provide citations or fulltext access to information in other sources

While
print is still an important format for reference resources the growth of
distance education and the new Davis campus, as well as the needs of a student
body composed largely of working commuters predicate the provision of as
many resources as possible in electronic format available from off-campus.

The Reference Collection is used by Librarians and patrons and should be
arranged for efficient and effective use by both. Items defined as reference
will vary from subject to subject in accordance with discipline specific
collection policies. However, in general, resources placed in reference should
be of a more general nature. For example: The Encyclopedia of Philosophy belongs in the reference collection but an encyclopedia on Aristotle should
be placed in the circulating collection.

Selection Guidelines:
General selection
guidelines include, but are not limited to:

Anticipated use

Authority and reputation of work, publisher, author

Format

Currency of information

Ease of use

Cost

A. Type

The library will collect
typical
reference resources such as: almanacs, encyclopedias, dictionaries,
grammar & usage
handbooks, atlases, statistics, style
guides, career information, and citation and
fulltext
databases. Because
of the
availability of information
on the web and the problem
of currency, directories
will be collected only if they cover information
not easily
available
online.

B.
Format

Where possible materials will be added in web-accessible format and
made available for off-campus use via the library’s proxy
server. Otherwise materials will be added to the print collection.
CD-ROMS
will be added only
when the material is both crucial and not easily available via
the web or in print. (See the Electronic Resources Policy for more information on selection
procedures for electronic resources.)

C. Language

Preference is for English
language materials. Exceptions include foreign language dictionaries and
encyclopedias. Other exceptions may be made to support university programs
and general reference work.

D. Chronological Coverage

The collection will
cover all time periods as necessary and feasible to provide reference support
for the university curriculum and general reference needs.

E. Currency

Reference
materials should be kept as up-to-date as possible based on use patterns,
currency of the materials contained and financial constraints. Collection
should be reviewed and weeded on an ongoing basis.

F. Geographical Coverage

Coverage
will focus on those areas included in the university curriculum. Basic
coverage of all areas will be maintained for general reference needs.

Reference
Material
at the Davis Campus Library.
Given the small physical space of the current
Davis Campus Library and the fact that WSU Davis is a commuter campus,
electronic reference materials accessible on and off-campus via the web
will be preferred.
A small ready reference print collection will be maintained. Other print
reference material may be added as needed to support instruction and for
general information.